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Renewable energy industry leaders from across the United States will be descending on Raleigh next week for the 40th annual National Solar Conference, sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and its local chapter, the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA). As a gold-level sponsor of SOLAR 2011, Morrisville-based Southern Energy Management (SEM) will play a large contributing role at the conference, which takes place at the Raleigh Convention Center.

SOLAR 2011 starts on Tuesday, May 17, and wraps up Saturday, May 21.

Maria Kingery, SEM's co-founder and the current NCSEA board chair, says having SOLAR 2011 in the Triangle presents a big opportunity for the state's clean-energy industry.

"I'm thrilled that North Carolina gets to showcase to a national audience the incredible job we've done to build a strong, clean-energy economy," Kingery said. "Having ASES and the SOLAR 2011 conference in our own back yard is a testament to the leadership position that North Carolina has taken to promote solar power in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions."

For the first four days of the conference, SOLAR 2011 caters mainly to industry crowds. Southern Energy Management Co-founder Bob Kingery will be a featured speaker for the "Solar and You!" professional development training sessions throughout the week. On Tuesday, SEM's Blair Kendall will be taking part in on a daylong workshop for government employees. Eric Blomendale will be on a panel discussing trends in construction Wednesday, focusing on large-scale solar photovoltaic installation and interconnection issues.

Public Day, when the general public typically attends, is on Saturday, May 21. Admission is $5 and includes entrance into the exhibit hall and attendance to all speaker presentations. SEM will have five additional team members sitting on various panels, including Maria Kingery, Graham Alexander, David Boynton, JJ Froehlich and Dan McFarland.

"It's fitting that ASES has brought the nation's longest-running solar conference to North Carolina," explained Shaun McGrath, executive director of ASES. "The state is embracing and adding significant jobs via solar and other renewable energy sources and recently ranked ninth of all states in the solar economy. SEM is one of the key players in the growth of the region's green economy."

Aside from the speakers lined up to talk at the conference, SEM is also sponsoring a prize drawing for a free Home Performance Analysis, valued at $395. Anyone living the the SEM service area who attends the convention will have a chance to win via a random drawing. The analysis is a service SEM launched last year to help people make their homes more energy efficient, healthier and comfortable.

About Southern Energy Management
Southern Energy Management (southern-energy.com) is a North Carolina-based sustainable energy company offering energy efficiency, green building and turn-key solar services for homeowners, builders, companies, government and military clients across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. A certified B Corp, SEM's mission is to have a measurable impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, and to build a sustainable triple-bottom-line company. SEM was founded in a living room in Raleigh in 2001, and now employs a team of more than 90 sustainable energy professionals. SEM is consistently recognized as an industry leader both locally and nationally, and is among a small handful of companies in the U.S. to earn the National Energy Star Partner of the Year award five times (in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011). SEM also received the City of Raleigh 2011 Environmental Stewardship Award and the 2010 Green Jobs Award from SJF Institute & Green For All.

About the American Solar Energy Society (ASES)
Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES.org) is the nation's leading association of solar professionals and grassroots advocates. Supported by more than 13,000 members, ASES's mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. It advances research, education and policy. ASES publishes the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, presents the ASES National Solar Conference, rallies citizens to build a Solar Nation, and leads the ASES National Solar Tour, the world's largest grassroots solar event.

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